


the best kind of problem

by halfwheeze



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Buzzfeed: Worth It (Web Series)
Genre: Cafe AU, M/M, coffee shop AU, why am i writing the Token Coffee Shop Aus of Buzzfeed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-02-03 19:31:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12754719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfwheeze/pseuds/halfwheeze
Summary: notes on coffee cups, awkward introductions, and the essential nature of emojis.





	the best kind of problem

**Author's Note:**

> mer is back at it again with a cafe au i know we're all surprised

Andrew thinks it's a joke at first. There are messages on his coffees every day he gets one, some innocuous little compliments and some the worst pickup lines he's ever heard in his life. After that, he thinks that this is something done for every customer that comes along, just something he didn't notice was happening to other people around him. That is, until he brings in his friend Ashly, and once his coffee cup is adorned in some silly comment or compliment, while Ashly's remains cleanly blank. Back to the drawing board he goes, growing a little more frustrated and desperate for a real answer for his quandary everyday. 

It isn't the work of the kind and yet bored Ryan Bergara at the front counter, because Andrew has known both Ryan and Ryan's boyfriend, Shane Madej, for a bit too long for that. And, he's never seen Ryan leave the register. The coffee cup compliment leaver must be one of the people who never seems to leave the back of the shop, but Andrew doesn't know any of them, or that any of them have ever seen him; some of the compliments and lines are pretty specific to his appearance, and some even to his interests. It takes two weeks of little remarks and pick up lines for Andrew to think to ask Ryan. Ryan, his friend, the only reason he even started coming to this cafe, looks characteristically bored as Andrew approaches. 

"So, uh," he starts, as awkward as he ever is, and then glances back at the floor. Ryan is looking up at him and Andrew should probably talk, but the words are taking more work than he'd like. "Do you know who's... leaving notes on my cups?" Andrew asks, not making eye contact with Ryan but rather looking over his shoulder and to the left. He's startled into looking at the other man by laughter - Ryan is laughing so hard that he looks like he's about to cry. 

"Steve!" Ryan yells suddenly, turning towards the back kitchen while still nearly collapsing with laughter. It's only a moment before a flurry of activity bursts out of the kitchen, knocking over the broom beside the door and a rack in the kitchen that may have previously held spices. From the ruckus emerges possibly the most beautiful man that Andrew has ever seen,stumbling over himself and his ridiculously white shoes. The man who is apparently called Steve startles upon looking at Andrew, as if Andrew was the one to burst into the room where he happened to be, knocking shit over. 

"Tell your boyfriend he's your boyfriend already. Take your break," Ryan says, his voice sounding tired and amused and dragged out and  _ what the fuck? _ Andrew has more questions than answers, which he hadn't thought was possible before this progression. The man called Steve is blushing dark red but he nods, going back into the kitchen, possibly to go clock out as Ryan instructed him to do. It's the first part of Ryan's command that has Andrew confused; is he the boyfriend? Well, the not-boyfriend, rather. Andrew is just intrigued enough to follow Ryan's directory through the kitchen, inadvertently following Steve out the back. 

"Uh, okay, so I'm going to start this with the fact that it's Steven, Steven Lim, Ryan calls me Steve even though I don't like it, it's Steven. And uh. Okay so the notes on your cups were me, because I saw you a couple of weeks ago and Ryan started telling me things about you when I asked, and Shane made it worse, you know, by being Shane, and I'm really sorry, I can totally leave you alone, just say the word," apparently Steven rants, and Andrew isn't sure the guy has taken a single breath. He's sounds both despondent and somehow excited, like he can't keep his energy from spilling over at the seams. Andrew tries very hard not to find him entirely adorable, but it doesn't work for a moment. 

"I'm not saying the word - I don't want you to leave me alone," Andrew tries, and then diagnoses as a failure. He decides immediately to try again, if only because Steven looks marginally more hopeful, and hope looks really good on this boy. "The... the pickup lines and stuff. The compliments. They're really nice. I like them a lot. I've started... looking forward to them every morning. Would be a shame if I didn't get one." Steven breaks into the sweetest smile that Andrew's ever seen, and he kind of feels like one of those cakes in a mom and pop bodega, the ones that crumble so soon as you put your fingertip to them. Steven is beautiful. 

"Yeah?" Steven asks, voice soft, and Andrew tries not to drown a little. He's just met this guy, and he has the worst feeling that this is just the beginning of how bad he'll get for him. Andrew knows he'll have to at least act more together than this. 

"Yeah. Though I do think taking a more direct approach would have been - well - at least more direct," he says, taking a sip of his coffee and startling a laugh out of Steven. It's a little bit glorious, Andrew can't lie. 

"I can start complimenting you in person in the morning if you want," Steven says. Andrew raises his eyebrows. "Too direct?" he asks, worrying his bottom lip. Andrew shakes his head and chuckles, looking at the ground before looking back up at Steven. He really does have to look up; Steven is about four inches taller than him, maybe more. Andrew kinda likes it. 

"I might have to compliment you. I have a bit of catching up to do," Andrew attempts to flirt; this one he immediately classifies as a success. Steven looks a little surprised and a lot... reverent? Like Andrew means a lot more than he should, and Andrew doesn't know how to deal with that, but he thinks it's the kind of problem he would love to learn how to adapt to. It sounds like the best kind of problem. 

"I - That sounds nice. Can I take you on a date? Oh god that's forward. Uh. Would you maybe like to go to dinner with me on some night eventually take your time?" Steven asks, stilted in the cutest ways, and part of Andrew is delighted. He's so nice, that part whispers, so nice and so new. You'll love him. 

"How about you give me your number first, and then we talk about getting dinner... Wednesday night?" Andrew counter-offers, quickly picking a night when he would be free soon. It's Monday today, and he knows Wednesday might be a little fast, but that's okay. Steven frantically nods, digging his phone out of his pocket and unlocking it. He passes it to Andrew with reckless abandon; Andrew doesn't know that he could trust a virtual stranger with his phone like that. Steven looks almost giddy and Andrew grins, putting in the digits of his phone number beneath a simple Andrew and sending a text to himself. He hands Steven's phone back to him and doesn't freak out when their fingers touch - just barely. 

"Just Andrew? Lemme pick my own name in your phone, huh?" Steven says, somehow looking small with that little coy look on his face. Andrew almost wants to - well, he wants to reach out and put his fingers to it, but that would be weird. Andrew nods and passes his own phone over to Steven, just as he was just mentally saying he would not do. Because he's a weak piece of shit, but that's a thought for another day. When it's handed back to him, the number is saved as Steven, but it's augmented with several emojis that Andrew has never used before in his life: a yellow heart, something that looks like a sunset, and the Chinese flag. 

"Are you going to add emojis to mine?" Andrew asks despite himself, grinning down at his phone before looking up at Steven again. Steven seems to have to shake himself from looking at Andrew to answer, which makes the shorter man feel very good about himself, though he wouldn't say so aloud. 

"Of course. Emojis are essential," Steven says, as if this is very obvious, but still not making Andrew feel old like it would with anyone else. Instead it just reaffirms just how cute this boy is, and Andrew is afloat on it. 

"You should get back to work, Steven Lim. It's Ilnyckyj, by the way. Andrew Ilnyckyj," he tells Steven, looking to the end of the alleyway for a way to make a cool but aesthetically pleasing exit. He's satisfied by the exit, and goes to make it before there's a hand on his arm. 

"Text me, Andrew Ilnyckyj. Text me anytime," Steven says, and he drops a kiss on Andrew's cheek before making a quick exit back into the shop .Looks to be that Andrew shouldn't have worried about his own exit at all. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> gimme them prompts on tumblr, shyan, zagene, standrew or steven/andrew/adam, hit me with the Prompts


End file.
